Eating strange stuff

[chocolatespread]

Words of wisdom, anyone? DS2 has always eaten huge quantities of foods that we would eat in moderation - huge handfuls of butter, if he can get hold of it, ketchup, flour. He has a healthy appetite for great stuff, too - greens, fruit, etc. So, managed, it's not a big deal.

The thing that's getting to me at the moment is eating newspaper, and recently, snow and grit. Whenever I catch him I say, "Take that out of your mouth, it'll make your tummy poorly", but it's really not going anywhere.His TA suggested maybe pica is a problem. I don't know, but maybe some of you have this difficulty, too?

[purplepidjrobin]

DNiece does this, she likes the frost from inside the freezer, anything wooden so she can chew the paint off, coal dust, and the plastic wheels of her little brother's cars! I have also worked with kids who would eat grass, leaves, glue, glitter, paint, their own faeces, etc. Pica is the impulse to eat non-food items. I don't know how the behaviour itself can be tackled other than redirection. Can you get him some kind of snack that mimics the texture? Or maybe something to chew or fidget with? You can get Chewellery like this or chewy tubes like this that might work as a distraction?

[nightcat]

No personal experience, but I think it could be some kind of deficiency. Here it mentions a possibility of Zn deficiency; my ds was Zn deficient and I know this affects a sense of taste.

[chocolatespread]

Hmmm, I don't think those would stop the paper thing with it being such a different texture. But it might be a good redirection thing for when his poor TA is getting bitten to bits! Thanks for that.

[purplepidjrobin]

How about rice paper?

[chocolatespread]

I'd forgotten they existed! I used to buy it from the corner shop when I was a kid! Yes, definitely a thought. I think I should talk to school and see whether we can jointly employ some of these redirection ideas. Worth a stab.

[chocolatespread]

Yeah, nightcat, his TA mentioned zinc.

[rebl]

My ds has pica. A lot of his is medical related as he's anaemic (has iron). But even when his iron levels are normal the pica is still present, just not as much so there must be a behavioural part to it. I think I would get your ds checked for anaemia because its obviously important to treat it if he is. That might be the solution to the problems.

[chocolatespread]

Yes, there's definitely a behavioural aspect to it, but I guess it could be that a deficiency is starting it in the first place.